Improvement in friction-clutches



@sind j gte-trs @anni `l i Lener@ Patent No. 93,798, am; A-u'gan 1r, 1ste`l` mnovnunnmm rmcrxoN-cnu'rcnns- The Schedule reforredto in than Letten Patent of the m'g A' To all whom it may concern Figure l is aside view of the shaftand pulley tov which the clutch-.arrangement is applied;

Figure 2, a longitudinal section thereof; ,and Figure 3, a transverse swetiomtaken on th red line A B, lookingtowardthelefh My invention relates to a mode of pressingfric-- tion-surfaces of the` clutch againstthe rim of Athe driving-pulley, to engage itwith the driving-shaft, and of releasing the same.

The driving-pulley a. is fitted loosely to the drivingshaft b, and is kept in position thereon by a collar, c.

Two lever-arms, d, are carried by the driving-shaft,

one onv either side thereof, and are capable of being moved-toward and from its centre. l

They are guided and supported in part by arms c, aliixed to the driving-shafhaud in part by holes in the driving-shaft, in which their linner ends ply, thepart which plies in the arms e being square, to prevent them from turning therein'.

'.lheir outer ends are covered with leather or copper, as is nsnah'and are curved, to conform to the inner surface of the rim ofthe driving-pulley on which they uct,..while their infner ends rest on a wedge-formed har, f, by which they are actuated.V j

'.lhe wedge-lormcd bar f is jointed to a sliding rod, g, (as shown in iigs. 2 and 5,) which slidesin a central hole in the driving-shaft, and has a head, h, on its outer end, on which the shipper acts.

lVhen the sliding rod g is` pushed inward, the wedgeforlned bar f pressesy the friction-surfaces of the leverarms d against thel rim of' the driving-pulley, and engages it with the driving-shaft, and when it is withdrawn it allows the coiled springs 'i to draw the friction-surfaces away from the rim of the driving-pulley, and disengage it from the driving-shaft.

'The object of jointing the wedge-formed har f to the sliding-rod g is tojavoid the necessity of making and maintaining the lever-arms 'dl of exactly equal lengths, made longe than the other, or if one by unequal wear should become shorter than the-other, `it would press the sliding rod g against the side of the hole in which it slides, andprevent its. free movement therein. Figures 4 and 6 represent modified 'formsiof'this partof my invention.

.In these modifications, the `inner end of the sliding rod itself is made wedge-formed, andthe hole in which the rod.slides is made, suflcientlylarge to allow itthc necessary vihrationthereon. Y.

As represented in iig. 4, the outer'end of the sliding rod is kept in position by the enlargement j, which, while filling the hole in which it slides, will allow the innerend of the rod to vibrate sufficiently toadapt itself to such inequalities as there may he in the lengths fof the lever-arms. v

The same result is effected by the construe-tion represented in fig. (i, which diers from that represented in lig. 4 only in the mode vof keeping the outer end of the sliding rod in position. In fig. 6, the collar c,.which keeps the driving-pulley in position, as before explained, is formed so as to cover the end of the driving-shaft, and is provided with a -hole smaller than that in the driving-shaft, in which the sliding rod plies, and by which it is kept in position. L

Having described lmy invention, and pointed out soincof .the modifications of which it is susceptible, without departing from the principles which distin gnish, v

\Vhat I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The arrangement of the wedge-formed bar g, operating in a central hole in the driving-shafuthe l'riction-arms d, springs fi, and arms' e, substantially as and Y for thel purpose described.

\ E. B. BIGELOl-V.'

Witnesses NANCY E. Manns, ,ll snm-:nr T. WHrrMAs'.

for it will he obvious thatif' one of them was 

